A Pokemon Expedition
by Cloudydragon
Summary: Meet four young trainers who team up to take on different aspects of the pokemon world, including an aspiring breeder, a professor in training and two young men who will stop at nothing at achieving the title of a Pokemon Master


A Pokémon Expedition  
  
Hey all, I'm Cloudydragon, I haven't written a fic about pokémon in awhile cough over a year cough. Ahem, anyways, I have decided to write one now that will have pokémon from Kanto, Johto, and the Hoenn region, as well as adventures in all of aforementioned places. Jon is a 15 year-old boy who is ready to begin his pokémon journey. He attended a small grade school Pallet town, but now it is time for him to venture into Pokemon University.  
  
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Real World  
  
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!" the only thing more dreaded than school, pain, and death was the siren's call of the deadly alarm clock. I moaned as the piercing sound bored into my ears. I unwillingly opened my coal black eyes and moaned. With a grunt I lifted my hand and smashed it on the alarm clock, hoping to hit the snooze button. " BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!" it screeched furiously. I had hit the volume button by mistake. I tried my luck again, and sighed with relief as sleep settled over me like a warm blanket. I cocooned myself in blankets, and was nodding off again when I heard a creak, and a sliver of light fell across my blankets, illuminating My messy room. I turned over, away from the light, and a shrill, annoying voice said,  
"Minun?" another, less shrill voice said,  
"Plusle!" then, before I could do anything, two small, furry mouse- like creatures jumped on my bed, the malevolence evident on their faces. I growled and turned away. Ying let out a cry of anger at being ignored. Then they both shouted, and suddenly an electric shock went through my body. My hair stood on end, and my teeth locked together. It ended suddenly, and I jumped up in a rage. Ying and Yang stuck out their tongues and dashed from my room, with me in pursuit, wearing only boxers. I thundered down the hallway, chasing them down the stairs as they giggled. As I reached the bottom, I stepped the tail of my older brother Brett's sleeping Houndour. It snarled and bit my ankle.  
"God dammit let go Crusher!" I yelped. Crusher glared at me and squeezed harder to make sure I got the point, and then let go, keeping one eye on my as I limped into the kitchen. My older brother Brett was already up, eating breakfast in his boxers.  
"Nice hair," he said, laughing. I grumbled and attempted to brush it down. I grabbed a bowl, filled it with cereal, and walked over to the table where he was already sitting.  
"Give me a drive to school?" I asked, yawning.  
"Sure little bro, I'm leaving in twenty minutes." he punched me on the shoulder and went to have a shower. I finished eating and walked back up to my room, shutting the door behind me. I also locked it. There was no telling when Brett would pull some kind of stupid prank. I laid out my clothes and then had a shower when Brett was done. I pulled on a black hoodie with an Umbreon on the front, baggy blue jeans, my wristwatch, and my pokémon equipment belt. I would be receiving a pokémon today, so I had to be ready and make a good impression. There was only one problem I thought impressions were useless. More often than not they showed who you weren't, not who you were, so I figured just being myself was more important. I grabbed my wallet, said goodbye to Ying and Yang (Minun and Plusle), and walked over to Brett's convertible. I was opening the door to the front seat, but Crusher leapt in ahead of me, growling. I put my hands up in disgust and sat in the back. Brett hopped in and burned rubber pulling out of the driveway. The wind blew through my short, night black hair, and I enjoyed the ride. As we pulled out of the driveway, Crusher stuck his head into the wind, his tongue lolling out wildly. Brett laughed and smoothly turned into the main flow of traffic. The drive went smoothly, until a car cut him off. He laid on the horn and yelled,  
"Watch where you're driving jackass!" Crusher barked at the car, and the guy looked shaken. Brett shot him a murderous look as we passed him. The rest of the drive was uneventful as he pulled into Pokemon U. Students were walking around in the morning sun. Taillows and Pidgeys argued over breakfast, and occasional Sentret could be seen in the trees, and Beautifly's were soaking up the suns rays. Brett leaped out of the car and walked off to his class. I got out and stretched, looking around for someone I knew. I saw my friend Kyle talking to a couple of other junior trainers, and I walked over.  
"Hey!" I said.  
"Hi Jon. Jon, this is Craig and Sara. Their juniors too! They're brother and sister!"  
"Hey!" I said quietly. I noticed a slight resemblance between them. We talked for a little while until the first bell of the day rang. A voice came floating over the yard, saying,  
"Would all junior trainers please report to Lab 15 for pokémon selection!"  
"Come on, let's go, you don't want to be the last one and get stuck with a Weedle do you?" Kyle yelled. We took off running, other juniors running along side of us. Few of them had ever run from an extremely angry houndour, so I was one of the first in the line-up. To my dismay, everyone had an equal chance to get whichever pokemon they wanted, but I was still happy to be first in line. There were rows of people in lab coats, and many small cubicles with equipment inside. The hall stretched on for at least 400 meters. A tall man beckoned me into a small cubicle and I followed him. He motioned for me to take a seat, and he sat down beside me.  
"Now, lets get started. State your full name." he asked.  
"Jon Brad Arrow." I said. He looked surprised when he heard Arrow, but said nothing.  
"OK. Here's how this is going to work. You're randomly going to be given a pokemon to borrow. You and three other juniors will be paired up with a senior who will take you into the country around Mauville City. There are all different kinds of pokemon inhabiting the area. You catch one with the pokemon we lend you; the senior evaluates your knowledge of the pokemon you are using, your skill as a trainer, and your grasp on tactics. Because the pokemon we give you is random, you cannot prepare for it. Once your skill has been assessed, we place you in a group. Follow Matt, your group senior, into that room where you will be given a pokemon and pokeballs." he finished, a took a breathe of air. I gave him a questioning look, and said,  
"About my—"he shook his head sharply as I asked the question, and I followed Matt, a very tall and muscular nineteen year old into a room which had row upon row upon row of identical, unmarked pokeballs sitting on blue shelves.  
"Hey, I'm Matt, your group leader. Take one pokeball from any shelf you want; just don't bring it out until we're in the field. I have my pokemon in case we get into unwanted trouble, but I don't think we'll need them!" he laughed heartily and clapped me on the shoulder, which made me wince and my knees buckle. Not seeming to notice his strength, he grabbed me and half dragged me over to the shelves. I picked one on the top shelf and Matt pulled me to where the rest of the juniors of our group were waiting. Craig and Sara were waiting there, looking nervous. They smiled at me, and looked worriedly at Matt, who gave them the same speech he had given me. We then exited through a side door and took a brisk jog into the surrounding woods.  
"Now, you're free to wander off on your own, but everyone take a whistle just in case you get into trouble. We don't want anyone getting hurt!" he laughed again and lay down under a tree. I did several stretches and warm-up exercises before going into the woods, and Matt nodded approvingly at me.  
"Hey, you're Brett's little bro, aren't you?" he asked suddenly, grinning infectiously. I had to grin back, and said,  
"Yeah."  
"He's a great trainer you know. That houndour of his..." he whistled lowly. I raised my eyebrows, but quickly put on a blank face. I hadn't known he was so good that people were in awe of him, and mom went to work so often she never said anything about his abilities. I shook my head and walked quietly into the woods, listening hard. Suddenly I remembered something my dad had told me once.  
"When you want to catch a pokemon, often the best option is to just sit quietly and listen. Find a spot, and just sit. You'll see things you'd never see just tramping through the woods."  
I made my way over to the base of a large tree with oran berries growing on its thick, powerful branches. The sun was barely tickling its leaves. I sat in the soft, springy grass at its fore. From my vantage I could see a small creek winding away from the university, burbling softly in the morning mist. A small, grassy clearing lay dead ahead, dew glistening on the grass. The wind whispered softly through the trees. Content, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and relaxed. For a while I heard nothing but the creek splashing softly and the wind dancing among the trees. Then I heard a sound. A Lotad crept shyly out of the creek, its lily pad head full of fresh water. It waddled over to a small tree and carefully dumped the water around its base. A Diglett popped its head out of the ground near the creek, looking around carefully. A group of Wurmple came over from the opposite side of the creek to drink, and several Poliwags swam by, chirping merrily. I watched, amazed, as pokemon appeared from the unlikeliest of places. Still I waited though, for a pokemon that I wanted. Then it happened. A lone pokemon wandered out of the woods. A small, fluffy sheep made its way out of the woods and into the middle of the clearing. It had a golden, pure and fleecy coat that shimmered in the morning sun. It bent its head and nibbled daintily at the grass in front of it without a care in the world. Carefully I stood up, reaching slowly for my pokeball, praying it wouldn't be a water type or flying.  
"Go!" I shouted suddenly, and a group of Pidgeys took flight as I threw the pokeball into the clearing. With a flash of light, a small pokemon emerged. As it did, Matt came running.  
"I have to evaluate you!" he gasped. Craig and Sarah came up behind, there newly caught pokemon in their wake. A small cry brought my attention back to the battle. A Venonat had emerged from my pokeball. The Mareep turned and jumped at the Venonat, preparing to tackle it.  
"Venonat, Stun Spore!" I shouted. Venonat released a cloud of spores, which were absorbed into Mareep's coat. It affected it little, and Venonat rolled head over heels from the attack. It jumped to its feet.  
"Leech Life!" I yelled, and Venonat turned green as it absorbed back the life it lost from the tackle attack. Mareep stumbled as the attack sucked away some of its life.  
"Sleep Powder!" I commanded, and Venonat shook its coat, and blue spores separated themselves from its purple fur, and Mareep ran into the cloud. It dropped to the ground, snoring.  
"Headbutt!" I called, and Venonat ran at it and smashed into its side. It merely rolled over. "One more time!" I shouted excitedly. Venonat used Headbutt again, and the Mareep whimpered in its sleep.  
"Go, pokeball!" I yelled, and it struck the Mareep and sucked it in. It shook violently for what seemed like an eternity, and then fell still with a small ding. I walked over and picked it up.  
"Venonat, return!" I said, and a beam of energy returned it into its pokeball. I hitched them both onto my belt and walked over to Matt.  
"Nice, 98% on that performance, the highest we've had from a beginner since your brother started training! It must run in the family," he said, shaking his head with awe. "Anyways, congratulations. Mareep will be a tough starter for most beginners, but you'll be able to handle it just fine. Craig and Sara did ok too!" I looked curiously at their pokemon. I recognized Sara's as a Teddiursa, and Craig's as a Taillow. They both looked happy with their catch.  
"Now, we go back to the school and we heal them, and you have the rest of the day to bond with them. If you are living in the dormitories, you can head over to them at 6:00. Jon, you'll obviously be going home, so I'll tell Brett you'll be waiting for him," said Matt, and we jogged back to the school. I walked to the cafeteria and got some lunch for Mareep and me, and then I settled under a tree to eat it.  
"Come out, Mareep!" I called. In a flash of light Mareep materialized. It gave me a glare and turned away.  
"Come on, I want to be your friend! We'll make a great team! All the other Mareeps will want to BE you!" I said. The Mareep snorted and turned its head towards me in a friendly way. I offered it some food, and got shocked for my efforts. I shook it off, and it glared at me again. I sighed. Clearly it wasn't going to be as easy as it looked. Some pokemon resented being caught, and it took their trainer a long time to gain their trust.  
"Shock me, Mareep. Give it all you've got, I can take it!" I said, extending my hand towards it. It looked at me as its fur crackled with electricity. A bolt shot out of it into me. I grunted and willed the pain away. Mareep poured on more. My teeth chattered, and my hair stood on end. More and more came on, until, right when I was about to give up, it stopped. Mareep was panting deeply, but its normal hating glare had changed to one of respect. Kyle, Craig and Sara walked over to me, concerned looks on their faces.  
"You okay man?" Kyle asked carefully. Shaking my head, I nodded. I gasped softly when Mareep walked over to me and nuzzled against me, and I felt a trickle of wetness where its soft head pressed against my chest. As I felt my throat catch, I willed the emotion away and hugged Mareep. It looked at me with its big eyes, and smiled with a small reep! I stood up as Craig and Sara stared at me with looks of slight awe on their face. Then they smiled.  
"That was really brave!" said Sara shyly. I smiled back at her, and her Teddiursa took a swipe at me with its claws. "Bad Teddiursa, bad!" she said sternly. Teddiursa hung its head in shame, but I saw the wicked gleam in its eyes.  
"Your Mareep is really strong, that was so cool!" Craig said, flushed with excitement. His Taillow cawed from overhead, and he extended his arm so it could land. It did and immediately began to preen its glossy feathers, a no-nonsense look in its black eyes. Together they helped me stand up and walk to the infirmary. As my shoes squeaked on the polished floors, I looked into open classrooms on the way by.  
"Poliwrath, Hypnosis!" a girl shouted from inside a room labeled "TRAINING: WATER". In another room a man directed his Ninjask through hoops while spectators clapped. Finally we reached the infirmary where Nurse Nell waited.  
"Oh goodness, you've been shocked, haven't you dear!" she said, fussing over me. She shot a reproving look over my shoulder at Mareep. " And I suppose this would be the culprit. Beginners should know better than to start out with electric pokemon, but do they ever listen to Nurse Nell, no, what would she know! She's only a certified nurse who knows more about the world than a green trainer ever would!" she finished, breathing slightly harder.  
"But he hasn't even been to you before!" said Craig indignantly. She shot him a look that would have peeled paint and turn to her Chansey.  
"Chansey, escort the boy to sick bay one for electric shock treatment!" she ordered to the pink pokemon which had appeared beside her.  
"Chansey!" said the pokemon cheerfully and grabbed my arm and towed me into a door down a hallway on our left.  
"And recall your Mareep! We don't need any more accidents!" Nurse Nell called after us down the hall. I pulled out my pokeball and said,  
"Return!" and Mareep was sucked into the pokeball without trouble. I sat down in a chair, acknowledging the other shock victims with a nod of my head and a small smile. The way their hair stood on end and their skin was slightly charred made me realize just how stupid I must look. I saw one boy holding an Elekid in his arms who was blatantly refusing to enter its pokeball and shocking the boy for his efforts. His friend, who was standing beside him, ordered his Natu to use Hypnosis on it. After that it went peacefully into its pokeball. Craig and Sara pulled up chairs beside me to keep me company, and I was able to examine them more closely and talk to them. Sara had long, light brown hair that hung down below her shoulders, catching the light and throwing it back. She had a slim figure, standing at about 5.4. She had large hazel eyes, thin brows, and a determined smile on her face. Craig was about 6.4, with brown eyes and well-muscled arms of someone who worked out regularly. He had a thin bladed nose and a large, full mouth.  
Sara told me that she aspired to be a pokemon breeder, and had been since she was a little girl. Craig, like me, was on the pokemon master quest. While talking, we decided we would travel together when we left the university to catch pokemon. It was only three months away. Soon after that I was lead into a small room where they removed the excess electricity from me. After that we met up with Kyle in our dorm common room. He had a forlorn look on his face.  
"My parents have called me away from the U," he said directly. " They say the combined danger of Team Aqua and Team Magma, along with the growing threat of Team Rocket, they feel it is "in my best interests" to discontinue my pokemon studies and not go out on my own. They say the danger is too great." he kept his head down and his voice even, the despair emanating from him.  
"Well, then I have the perfect solution for the perfect problem!" I said." Craig, Sarah and I were planning on going on our own journey together! If you came with us, then maybe your parents would agree! It's worth a shot anyways!" I added. He brightened slightly.  
"I'll go and ask right now!" he exclaimed. He ran to the center where the phones were and called his parents. He returned with a disgusted look on his face.  
"They're "considering it"," he said dejectedly. "He said if at least two of our group and could defeat either one of them in a pokemon battle then we would be allowed to go. And I have to keep up with my studies." Sara had a slightly stricken look on her face. Craig looked impassive. I, however, grinned.  
"This could be fun! If we all do some intensive training, not only will we be able to defeat Kyle's parents, we'll also have the advantage over the other beginning trainers! But we each need another pokemon. If we have two each that should do well!" I said jubilantly. Craig and Sara exchanged looks, and look slightly heartened after the eye contact. "If you can get permission, we can say we're meeting in town for pizza, but we could sneak off into the forest and catch another pokemon!"  
"Jon, that's plain dangerous! Don't do this for me!" it sounded pathetic to my ears. I think that the sound of his voice was what erased Craig and Sara's skepticism.  
"Of course we'll do it!" exclaimed Sara.  
"What are friends for if not helping one another!" said Craig. "I can help everyone with getting in shape. I work out for a couple of hours every day. I can help everyone get a workout routine going. But say goodbye to free time for awhile, its going to be hard, studying, training our pokemon and getting in shape." he was flushed and he punched my shoulder in excitement. I groaned, and he said,  
"Ok, you really need to get in shape, it wasn't even that hard!" I laughed, and we walked into the cafeteria to get lunch. After lunch Craig, Sara, Kyle and I got permission to go for pizza for dinner. We walked downtown, but kept on going to the outskirts of the forest, just as the sun was setting. I had food, rope, water, pokeballs, bait, and a flashlight in my backpack. Sara, Craig and Kyle were similarly equipped. We walked down the beaten forest path, keeping our eyes peeled for movement, listening to the eerie forest sounds.  
"We need some help. Go, Hoothoot!" Kyle whispered. In a flash of light, a small, round Hoothoot emerged from the pokeball.  
"Hoot. Hoothoot!" it hooted softly.  
"Hoothoot, keep an eye out for anything strange. We're looking for pokemon, so let us know if you see any!" Kyle told him softly. Hoothoot took flight without a sound, quite a feat for its small wings. We walked carefully. As I was walking, a Spinarak was slowly dropping a rope down over my head, without my knowledge. When it touched, I jumped away, and the Spinarak scurried into the night, feeling cheated by its prey. Slightly shaken we continued on. Suddenly Hoothoot came flying down.  
"Hoothoot, hoot, HOOTHOOT!" it said frantically. It mimed being a large, slow creature, which drug poison in its tracks. Then with a dreaded realization I knew. Hoothoot made claw marks in the dirt. I gulped. After calculating the marks, I figured that we were maybe 100 meters from a sleeping colony of Muk. I silently told the others when a low roar filled the air. In the distance I could see what looked like anthills moving quickly together towards us. I gulped.  
"RUNNN!" I yelled as the Muk descended on us in a wave. I grabbed Sara out of the way, and Kyle and Craig took off in the other direction. The Muk split into two groups as well, still hot on our tails. We crashed aimlessly through the brush. I fumbled in my pack as we went, and a great feeling of relief came over me as I felt the food in there. I tossed some bait to occupy the Muk, and we sped off into a cluster of trees. The Muk fell on the food instantly, absorbing it through the sludge that was their physical shell. I took the time to tie a grappling hook to the rope. My hands shook I was so afraid. Sara calmly reached over and finished the knot I had started. I tied another for her, this one faster now that I had a task to set my mind to. Once finished, we located a tree that could support us. Just as we found it, the Muk appeared again, descending on us in an angry wave. I grabbed the rope and threw it. It missed. Sara actually brushed the branch, but fell down as well.  
"Go Mareep!" I yelled, and threw the pokeball. In a flash Mareep appeared, the only opposition against an onslaught of furious pokemon much stronger than it.  
"Go, Teddiursa!" Sara's Teddiursa appeared beside Mareep, a familiar gleam of wickedness in its eyes. The Muk halted, weary looks in their eyes.  
  
"Mareep, blind them with Flash!" I called. Mareep suddenly began to glow with a fierce intensity.  
"Teddiursa, attack with Sand-Attack!" called Sara. Teddiursa began dashing sand in the eyes of the Muk, while Mareep glowed with a light to rival the sun itself. The Muk briefly retreated, getting angrier by the second. Again I tossed my rope, and it only missed by a hair. Sara's bounced off of a tree limb again. I tossed again, and finally it wedged firmly in the branch. A moment later, Sara's landed next to mine with a dull thunk. We grabbed the ropes and walked up the trees. At the first branch that was big enough, we stopped and sat down.  
"Mareep, return!" I called, and the red laser snatched Mareep up, as the same beam sucked up Sara's Teddiursa. The Muk left, muttering darkly in their guttural language. I let out a sigh of relief. We sat quietly for some time. It took me a moment to realize something was wrong. There was utter silence in the middle of the woods on a moonlit night. No Noctowl calls. No Oddish moving around. Not even a single Zubat squeak. Suddenly I what seemed like an earthquake rocked the ground. With a sudden feeling of foreboding, I knew what had happened. The Muk had amalgamated with all the other pokemon in the forest. The ground seemed to shake and heave, swirling around and around. I gasped, realizing that the shifting sea was one of snakes. Ekans, Arbok and Seviper covered the ground. The Muk, joined by Grimer followed along behind it. I gulped as they stopped below our tree. Then all hell broke loose. Golbat dropped from the sky, attacking us on our branch. As I flailed wildly, trying to get them away, I fell. I scrabbled at the tree limb, and just when I thought I would die, I grabbed the rope. Still attached to the limb, I swung. I left go when I started swinging back. I fell, rolling as did. I got to my feet, bruised but otherwise fine. The snake pokemon converged on me; hate gleaming in their eyes. A shadow swooped overhead, and Sara landed beside me on her feet, pokeball in hand.  
"Go, Teddiursa!" she called, throwing her pokeball. Teddiursa emerged, its head bent forwards, ready to fight.  
"Mareep, go help Teddiursa!" I shouted, and threw the pokeball. Mareep emerged. It ran to help Teddiursa, who was sporadically throwing rocks and dirt among the serpents.  
"Mareep, blind 'em with Flash!" I shouted hoarsely. Mareep once again became a beacon of immeasurable brightness. Under the harsh light, the snakes retreated. I saw the Arbok rear up, aiming their fangs at Mareep. Teddiursa saw it too. As Acid and Poison stings flew towards Mareep, Teddiursa jumped in front and used Detect. The acid splashed harmlessly onto the ground, the stingers bounced off the strange, green shield that had appeared to protect Teddiursa and Mareep. One Seviper, bolder than the rest, quickly came towards Mareep, its fangs glowing eerily in the moonlight. I didn't stop to think.  
"Mareep, Thundershock!" Mareep stopped glowing brightly, but instead a feeling of power grew in its fur. As the Seviper lunged, mouth open to bite, Mareep released a fully powered Thundershock directly into its mouth. It crashed to the ground, smoking. I never hesitated.  
"Pokeball, go!" I shouted, and threw the pokeball. It spun rapidly, and struck the Seviper squarely on the head. It shook, wiggled, and flopped all over the place like a Magikarp out of water. At one point it jumped almost a foot off the ground, but finally it fell still, and a quiet ding! was audible through the whole clearing as the pokemon stared at the pokeball. Sara took advantage of their immobility.  
"Teddiursa, Swift!" she bellowed. White, stinging stars shot from Teddiursa's paws, driving the pokemon back. I ran and grabbed my newly caught Seviper, hoping I would live to see it again. An overwhelming flood of pokemon came at us, more that we could stop. Just as we gave up all hope, a deep voice said,  
"Houndour, Kingler, go!" A large crab and a small, black and red dog appeared in front of me. The Houndour barked, and I gasped. It was Brett's. Brett ran over to us.  
"Are you guys ok?" he asked quickly worry creasing his face.  
"Yeah, yeah we're fine!" I said, relief flooding my voice.  
"Alright then. Matt and I will take care of this then." I looked and saw Matt standing with Kyle and Craig at the other end of the clearing. I watched as a Wigglytuff and a Tauros emerged from the two pokeballs he was holding.  
"Alright Houndour, Kingler, you guys ready? Yeah! Kingler, drench this whole clearing with water, ok? We don't want to start a fire." Kingler used Hydro Pump to douse the clearing from top to bottom in water.  
"Houndour, go! Flamethrower!" Brett called. Crusher lowered his head, and then raised it as flames poured from it, burning a wide path through the offending pokemon. They all fainted almost instantly. Matt's Wigglytuff and Tauros were making quick work of the pokemon facing them, Wigglytuff smashing through the ranks using rollout, Tauros cutting an equally wide swath using Take Down and Stomp. Finally they retreated, and a crowd containing most of the town had gathered around us.  
"Kingler, return!" Brett said. Houndour sat quietly at his side, panting. Matt recalled his Wigglytuff and Tauros a moment later. Craig and Sara's parents came running out, tears running down their mother's face.  
"What were you thinking?" their mother rage, hugging and kissing them both frantically, while their father leaned against a tree. Brett put a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I smiled at him, glad to know I had someone who cared about me too, even if my parents couldn't be here. Then Craig and Sara's parents made there way over to Brett and I.  
"We glad you're ok too, we don't blame you in the least! Thank you for helping my children out!" their mother said, hugging me as well. Then she turned to Brett.  
"I know it's not much, but you saved our children's lives. I want you to have this, and I won't take no for an answer!" she said, giving him a brief hug and leaving a small pouch in his hand, then walking back to her family. In his hand was a Fire Stone, and from the look on his face, I knew what it meant to him. He simply said,  
"Thank you." and we walked out of the woods. When we got to his car, Brett turned to me.  
"That was dumb. Don't do it again," he said it so quietly barely heard him. He turned, and said, "I'm not mad, I don't know a single kid at the U who didn't sneak into the woods at night to catch pokemon. Hell, I did it - but only once. Most students aren't lucky enough to survive doing it again. When your pokemon are strong enough, then you can venture into the woods at night. Not a moment sooner though." He grinned and ruffled my hair.  
"So tell me, did you waste your once-in-a-lifetime chance, or did you catch a pokemon?" he asked as we drove to the pokemon center.  
"No, I caught this really cool Seviper!" I said excitedly.  
"Awesome!" he said as we pulled in, the streetlights glowing in the peaceful twilight. As we walked in, Nurse Joy walked over, where a nightgown.  
"Can I help you?" she asked, covering a yawn.  
"We need our pokemon healed, please," said Brett. She took our pokemon over to the machine and said,  
"It'll be about 20 minutes." and walked into the other room.  
"So, is Seviper a good pokemon?" I asked curiously. I only knew that they didn't evolve, and were the poison type.  
"It can be very strong. I can take a look at yours when it's healed. They actually don't encourage beginners to catch them, because of their temper. Most are a handful even for experienced trainers. That Seviper should follow you to the end of the earth and back though." he said.  
"Why?" I asked, turning to look at him.  
"Because, you caught it under circumstances where another less skilled trainer would have failed. Because you are a student and are pretty much at the bottom of the ladder anyways, Seviper will have seen your potential. Your pokemon are the best judges of the kind of trainer you will be. Your determination and skill will appeal to such a strong pokemon as Seviper. You won't have problems, I guarantee it," he said, tweaking my nose. I knocked his hand away, grinning, and walked over to the magazine rack and pulled a book on poison types down. I read about them until Nurse Joy came to tell us our pokemon were healed. My watch read 1:15 as we pulled into the house.  
"Hey, how did you know to come get us?" I demanded suddenly as we got out of the convertible. Brett rolled his eyes at me and said,  
"Kyle phoned me. He did the right thing. Officer Jenny has only a Growlithe; she wouldn't have been much help." he said as we walked in the house, and I fell into my bed, Minun and Plusle on either side of me. I slept deeply without dreams, letting my tired body rest after such excitement. I woke up as a dazzling ray of sun fell over my eyes. I felt wide-awake and full of energy. I looked at the clock on my night table and it read 11:30. I walked right into the shower, brushed my hair and got dressed. My mom was sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in front of her, and a sheaf of papers in her hand, a pencil in the other. She dropped both when I entered and came over, sobbing onto my back while she hugged me tight. She didn't say anything, except, "I love you!" and then she made me breakfast before going back to work. Feeling ten times better, I called out Mareep and Seviper for her to meet. She cautiously greeted them, ohhing! at the softness of Mareep's coat, who took an instant liking to her. He laid his head against her hands. She apprehensively stuck a shaking hand out to Seviper, who delicately nuzzled his face against her hand, showing a gentle side I would not have believed possible after seeing how vicious and bloodthirsty it acted last night. A look of wonder on her face, she said,  
"I'm very please to meet you both!" and she patted them both one last time. I ate breakfast, and then jogged down to the U. I entered the same courtyard where I had first met Craig and Sara, and saw them seated under a tree. Sara's Teddiursa was playing with a berry under the tree, and Taillow was collecting gossip from the local Pidgeys and Taillows. Hoothoot and Kyle were nowhere to been seen.  
"Hey, is everyone okay?" I asked as I sat down. Craig handed me a juice box from the cafeteria. As we relaxed, Kyle approached, a jubilant look on his face.  
"My parents said because we handled ourselves so well, I can go with you guys. They still want to battle you guys though, so we still have training to do." Just as Kyle sat down, a teacher approached us.  
"You are to report immediately to the headmistresses office immediately!" he said, and walked off. We traded glances, and we quickly walked into the building, all of us feeling equally nervous.  
  
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That's all for now, I hope you guys liked it. Please R/R, I am trying to become a better writer, but it's hard without reviews. ( 


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